


Only Rainbows After Rain

by JustAnotherNerd1820



Category: Beca Mitchell/Chloe Beale - Fandom, Pitch Perfect, bechloe - Fandom
Genre: Alcoholic Chicago, Alcoholic Chloe, Angsty but also kinda fluffy, Beca Mitchell Fluff, F/F, F/M, drunk people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25131061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherNerd1820/pseuds/JustAnotherNerd1820
Summary: Beca’s a music producer, and Chloe’s engaged. After Pitch Perfect 3, the Bellas split up, and Chloe basically stalks Beca now. They meet up after a performance and there’s a bit of a showdown. Chloe goes back to Beca’s place, and they cuddle and Chloe makes pancakes.
Relationships: Bechloe, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Chicago Walp
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for reading this. Hope you’re doing well, and that you enjoy this rather blandly fluffy fic.
> 
> Update: I went through, made a couple of edits, and _finally_ put in paragraph breaks. Thanks to everyone who suffered through without them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.

Chloe wasn’t really sure if this was her fourth or fifth drink. It wasn’t her first, that was for sure. She was starting to regret coming to the concert at all-she hadn’t been feeling great that morning. 

But then Beca walked onstage and Chloe remembered why she was there. 

And then Chicago came up behind her and Chloe remembered why she had drunk so much.

“Hey babe,” he murmured, hands wandering on her neck.

“Chicago,” she replied coolly, trying not to flinch. She promised herself every morning that “today would be the day she would tell him that she didn’t love him” and yet here she was-three years later and engaged. Beca began to sing and Chloe pulled away from Chicago. This was a rare appearance of Beca’s voice nowadays. Her mixes and production of other peoples’ songs were why she was famous. But Chloe loved when she could find Beca’s voice in the background of a track. Sometimes, she’d listen to one song for hours on end, pretending that Beca had written it for her. Glancing at Chicago, Chloe tilted her vodka glass back, and let the familiar tasting drink burn the back of her throat. She giggled quietly at her fingers as they floated in and out of her vision, but they came into sharp reality when Chicago grabbed her shoulder.  
“You’re acting pretty drunk right now,” he growled. “You better not be, you’re driving us home.” He slapped her, but at this point, Chloe didn’t even flinch. She was used to it. Turning around, she dumped the rest of her drink in the grass.

“Okay,” she whispered. _Oh if Aubrey could see me now,_ the redhead reflected ruefully. _I’d get quite the tongue-lashing._ Chloe thought back to her friend, the uptight, aca-nerd now had a small midwifing business in Minnesota. Visits had become far more sporadic as time went by, and Chloe hadn’t heard from Aubrey since her “Yes!” to the wedding invite. She was Chloe’s maid of honor, but neither girl had the courage to ask the other if this was what they thought was supposed to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.

Beca had been scanning the crowd like she always did when she performed. Back and forth, back and forth. Then her eyes caught a glimpse of flaming red hair. Her heart leapt. Thankfully, the song she was singing was practically muscle memory from all the rehearsals. The man that the woman (Beca didn’t dare allow herself to get her hopes up) seemed to be with, slapped the girl. Beca nearly stopped the performance to go and check on her. She didn’t, but was ready to fight the man when the set finished.

As Beca walked offstage, she grabbed her drummer. “Hey, during our set a guy in the audience hit the girl he was with. Would you come check it out with me? Make sure the girl’s okay?” The drummer looked at Beca like she was crazy.

“Just call security. They’ll take care of it,” he said and kept walking. Beca sighed. She’d been meaning to get a new drummer anyway. 

Donning her “public glasses”, as she liked to call them, Beca slipped into the crowd. Katy Perry, the main attraction, was now performing and the crowd pressed themselves toward the stage. Hoping that the redhead was still at the bar she had wandered off to after Beca’s set was still where she was located, Beca flashes her ID and hurried in.

As soon as Beca walked in, she spotted the girl. It was Chloe. Beca had known it was Chloe deep down, but if admitting to herself that Chloe was in an abusive relationship was hard for her… Beca just hoped that Chloe was ready to get out of it. Then she remembered the wedding invite. Pushing her thoughts aside, Beca locked eyes with Chloe. It was as if their eyes were magnets. 

The simile popped in Beca’s head and she almost laughed. It wasn’t one of her better lyrics. She slunk up to the barstool next to Chloe. The older woman was nursing a Bloody Mary and a swelling eye. Beca just sat, and watched the woman. Neither one said anything. Chloe just gazed away from Beca, as if waiting for someone to come out of the restroom. Confused, Beca nearly asked about it, but then decided she’d let Chloe break the ice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trying something new and putting notes at the bottom. *collective gasp*

Chloe watched the entrance to the men’s restroom intensely. Chicago had just gone in, and she was waiting for his imminent return. She wasn’t looking forward to it. Unconsciously, she rubbed the engagement ring on her finger. 

Sighing, she spun her stool around so that she’d be facing Beca, but instead of gliding smoothly, Chloe crashed directly into her.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine Chlo. I can’t believe you’re here!”  
Searching Beca’s face, Chloe looked for any sign of age or fame or any change really. Nothing was there. Collapsing into Beca’s arms (as she had often done when drunk in college) Chloe whispered into Beca’s ear.

“I don’t want to get married to Chicago. He’s mean and abusive and oh my gosh he’s going to kill me if he found out I told you.” She spun her stool around again. “He’s coming back! This is a travesty!” Quickly she turned to Beca. “That was all a joke, you know that right? I love Chicago! He’s the-“ her words were choked by a hand on her back. It was Chicago’s.

“Who’s this chickie?” he slurred.

“This is Beca, Chicago,” Chloe replied, her shoulders tending and voice quavering in a way Beca had never heard before. “She’s the one who was performing earlier. I was just telling her how great of a husband you’ll be.”

“Oh yeah… the really cute one you said you used to have a crush on. Hah!” he cried, turning to Beca-who had a definite blush creeping up her neck-“I got myself a girl and you don’t have her. She’s past her dyke faze anyway, Beca.” He spat out the last word like a sunflower seed.  
Chloe hated the way he said it. She wanted to leave. Go with Beca. Maybe watch Modern Family like they used to in college when they weren’t studying or prepping for Bellas. Chicago was a terrible man, she knew that. A terrible man whose love was far from what she deserved. And yet, what if that type of love was exactly what she deserved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y’all are enjoying this, I don’t own the characters.

Beca saw Chloe’s demeanor change the minute Chicago walked up. Her posture-once her pride and joy-curled forward and her leg began to jostle up and down. Beca knew Chloe needed out of this relationship. “So I heard from a little bird that Chloe was getting married soon,” she said, attempting to start a conversation and ignore Chicago’s comment about Chloe’s past crush. Glaring at her, Chicago turned to Chloe.

“You didn’t invite her, did you?”

Chloe stared back at him for a second before lowering her gaze to her nails. “Maybe?”

Chicago turned back to Beca. “You’re not invited. She was allowed one friend to be her bridesmaid. And she picked one. And it wasn’t you.”

“Well…” Beca said, trying to think on her feet-something she had never been very good at. “If I’m not invited to the wedding, can Chloe come back to my house, for a sort of… pre-bachelorette party?” Beca had barely started talking and already she was grasping at straws. 

Chicago started laughing. “You think I’m going to let my girl,” he paused to pull Chloe close to him. “Go to your house? Alone?”

Chloe made a small squeak. “Yes?” Beca replied, hesitantly. “I can get you a cab home. And I can get someone to bring your car back to your house.”

Chicago stares at Beca. “You’re an idiot. You really thought I would fall for that? I know you’re jealous. I know you want her back. I know you think I’m abusive!” his voice had risen to a shout, and people were starting to stare. Chloe was trying in vain to get Chicago to sit back down.  
“Well! You’re not wrong! But that girl,” he pointed to Chloe, “needs discipline. She’ll run away from you! You have to know how to deal with her! She’s like a dog, and deserves to be treated like one!”

Beca had had enough. “No! You cannot say things like that about a person!” She too was standing now, although it didn’t do much to add to her height. She reached for her pocket, pulling her cell phone out. Chicago slapped it down, faster than the time she had slapped the cup Chloe brought to the Bellas reunion. A definite snap was heard, and when Chicago ground his heel into the phone, it was evidently broken. Beca glanced at Chloe. The redhead was no longer behind Chicago, which made Beca nervous. The older girl didn’t seem to be quite in her right mind, and Beca was hoping she hadn’t wandered off. Chicago spotted Chloe.  
“Chloe! Get away from the bartender!” he roared. The whole bar was staring now. Chloe backed away, looking like she was trying not to cry. Chicago grabbed Beca’s arm, and dragged her to Chloe. “You two sit here.” he said, then turned to the rest of the establishment. “There is nothing to see here.”

Beca had stopped trying to squirm out of Chicago’s grip. But she hadn’t stopped fighting. Lily had taught her a few things in college. And plus she had a strong voice.

“Someone call security!” she screamed.

“SHUT UP!” Chicago shouted. “YOU WILL NOT SPEAK! You,” he said, pointing to Beca. “Are a worthless being who doesn’t deserve anything.” 

He slapped her across the face. Beca couldn’t do anything to stop him, he had her wrists in one of his hands, and was hitting her with the other. Chloe was whimpering in the corner. In her defense, she was drunk, but Beca still could have used the help. He continued to hit her, until Beca was practically screaming from the pain. Chicago turned to Chloe.

“And now for you, you idiot piece of garbage who is not going to get any food tonight.”

Beca staggered upright, her face and body aching in places she was unaware could hurt that much. 

“No,” she said with so much resolve and distinction that Chicago turned back to her.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Beca opened her mouth to reply, but security finally showed up and took Chicago into custody. 

The head of security brought Beca and Chloe to a smaller room near the back of the main office building.

“So, were both of you ladies with this man, or…” the head officer trailed off, leaving the question unfinished.

Chloe swallowed hard, and Beca resisted the urge to place her hand on the redhead’s back. “I’m engaged to him. Of course, we will have to talk about our relationship.”

The head nodded. “Has he been abusing you for a long time now?”

“Umm…” Chloe glanced at Beca, who nodded at her. “Yes, it’s been almost seven years. He-“ she cut herself off. “I never said he abused me!”

She glanced at Beca. “You didn't , did you? Gosh! I can’t believe you! I thought we were friends!”

The officer broke in. “No, no, no. Your friend here didn’t say anything. In fact,” the officer turned her head and glared at Beca a little. “Your friend hasn’t said much of anything.”

Beca sighed. She hadn’t really wanted to take off her glasses. “I’m sorry, I just learned about the situation this evening.” Pulling off her glasses, she stuck them in her pocket, and settled herself back in her chair. The officer stared for a minute, then turned back to Chloe.

“Okay honey, your boyfriend’s going to be tried for domestic violence, and he’ll probably go to jail for a long time. You won’t need to worry about him for awhile. Do you have somewhere to stay for a few nights?”

Chloe glanced at Beca. She looked so scared, as if Beca was going to say “no”.

“Of course,” said the brunette. She turned to the officer. “Is there anything else we need here?”

After a shake of her head and an “I’m sorry,” from the security guard, Beca helped Chloe to her feet, careful to only touch where it was necessary.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.

Chloe was so tired. And also extremely drunk. She held her alcohol very well though, and the only one who could actually tell that she was drunk was Beca. The brunette led Chloe to her car, and as they got in, Chloe remembered her own car.

“What will we do with my car?”

Beca nodded. “I got you covered. Theo took it to my house. He came here in a cab, dropped off your car at my house, and walked to his from there.” Noticing Chloe’s questioning look, Beca laughed. “We live in the same apartment complex.”

Chloe nodded, she should’ve expected as much, but she still felt her face fall. Quickly, she turned her head to look out the window as Beca started the car and began to drive.

“So,” Chloe began. “Anything I should know before we get to your house? Any guys camping out or paparazzi stalking us?”

Beca laughed. “I’m not famous enough for that,” she put up her hand when Chloe tried to interject. “You think I’m famous-I know. But I’m not, not   
really.”

The paparazzi weren’t what Chloe has been hoping Beca would focus on in her response.  
“You didn’t say anything about the guys,” her words started to slur together just a little.

Beca laughed. “Chloe, you know me. Do you think I wouldn’t tell you if I had another person living in my apartment?”

“I guess you would,” Chloe replied, still mildly incredulous, but the words did assuage her anxiety a little bit. Beca led her inside the building, and they walked towards the stairs. Chloe groaned inwardly when Beca opened the door to the steps for her. Even though she could hold her alcohol fairly well in college, she had grown up a bit since then and was starting to feel the effects.

“What floor are you?” Chloe asked, trying to make polite conversation, but also extremely hopeful that the answer was a low number.  
Glancing at Chloe, Beca could see that the redhead wasn’t quite herself. “Only the third. You didn’t think that I would make you walk seventeen floors, did you?”

Chloe was quiet. Her mind and heart felt like horses on a racetrack. Her stomach was the fat old man sloshing along. The redhead sucked it up though. No way was she vomiting in front of Beca. Aubrey has taught her a few tricks, and they finally had come in handy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.

Beca could tell Chloe wasn’t feeling well. The older girl was never this silent. And her habits had changed too. Gone was the bubbly redhead who needed no invitation to invade personal space, and in her place was a silent, slouching, girl who looked like death.

“You okay Chloe?” Beca needed the older girl to say something, anything, just for a small sense of normalcy. 

Chloe grimaced. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Both girls knew she was lying, but neither said anything.  
The girls made it to the apartment. As soon as Beca unlocked the door, she reached out and handed the redhead a bucket.

“Some nights I get the same way,” said the younger girl.

Smiling in thanks, Chloe vomited into the bucket.

“This is going to hurt tomorrow,” she muttered, and Beca laughed, gently leading her to the bathroom.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

That was all they needed. Twenty minutes later both girls were asleep, piled on top of each other, soft breaths onto the other’s nose. Gentle hands unconsciously wrapped around waists, just like they used to be.


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe woke up at her usual time of 5.30. Beca was still asleep. Chloe glanced down at the unfamiliar warmth she was feeling, despite her observations that she was not draped with a blanket. The familiar closeness of another human being was a relief and a surprise. Chloe hadn’t been held like that since, since… she tried to remember a time Chicago had, but she couldn’t. He never had made her feel as safe as Beca did. A wave of panic swept through Chloe. 

She was engaged! To a criminal, yes, but engaged nonetheless. Sighing, Chloe relaxed her body, trying not to disturb the sleeping girl. 

Whenever she needed to work something out, Chloe would bake. Specifically Chloe would bake pancakes. Of course, she didn’t know what Beca had in her kitchen, but she had a feeling that she could make pancakes. Plus, Chloe’s head hurt a ton, and pancakes always helped. 

Slipping out of Beca’s arms, Chloe stood up and stretched. Small pops in her back made her groan quietly. She was only thirty for goodness sakes! Then again, most of the Bellas had married by now. Sighing again, Chloe stumbles her way into the kitchen. It took a couple wrong turns (the apartment was huge) and a couple choice words every time a promising looking turn was not the room she was looking for. The kitchen was big, but cosy. Quietly opening the drawers and cupboards, Chloe found everything she needed. The pancakes were ready by 6.30, but Beca wouldn’t be up for at least another hour and a half. Probably more. Chloe cleaned up her mess and put the pancakes in the fridge. 

Then she made her way back to the bathroom. She was hungover still, and wanted to go back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.


	8. Chapter 8

Beca woke up to the beeping of an alarm clock from somewhere in her apartment. Groaning, she attempted to throw off her covers and roll off her bed, before she realized that the redhead sleeping on top of her wasn’t her covers, and the floor of her bathroom was not her bed. Hurriedly trying to remedy her mistake, Beca froze, hoping Chloe wouldn’t wake up. It didn’t matter. Chloe’s eyes fluttered open, and a face shattering yawn filled her face. Beca smiled. She’d forgotten how nice it was to wake up to Chloe in the morning. Although most of the time Chloe was already dressed in clothes for the day and had breakfast ready. And wasn’t hungover.

“Beca,” Chloe started.

“Chloe,” Beca began at the same time. And although it seemed cliché, both of them laughed. 

“You first,” said Chloe.

“Okay, um…” Beca hadn’t really been expecting this. She took a deep breath. “I am in love with you and I want you to know that even if you don’t love me back I can’t let you get married to Chicago and I would love to at least let us try to make this work and I know you said it wouldn’t work when we were in college but ever since I left our apartment I’ve missed you so much more than the other Bellas and also I’ve finally figured out my sexuality and I’m demisexual and also a repressed lesbian and in college you said that you wished you had experimented more and if you meant me I’m sorry that we didn’t happen but I want us to happen so badly and I needed to tell you that before anything else happened.” She paused and took a deep breath. “What did you want to say?”

Chloe stared at Beca for a minute. “I just wanted to let you know that I made pancakes when I first woke up this morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own these characters.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay guys! We’re done! I do not own these characters. Thanks for reading!

Chloe was a little taken aback by Beca’s word vomit, but she was happy that the girl had finally figured out what her emotions were. There was a lot to sort through in the run-on sentence, so Chloe decided to start at the beginning. But first, they needed pancakes.

The women walked to the kitchen in silence. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t comfortable either. Chloe pulled the pancakes from the refrigerator, and Beca grabbed plates and glasses. They sat down across from each other, extremely aware of the tension in the room.

“Chloe,” Beca broke the tension in the room. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you or make you uncomfortable. I totally get it if you want to leave here, go to Aubrey’s house or somewhere else. I’m so sorry I ruined your perfectly good night with Chicago at the performance last night. I just…” the brunette broke off her sentence, a barely stifled sob coming through.

“No! No!” Chloe replied, her adamacy surprising herself and Beca. She had realized that she didn’t want to go to Aubrey’s. All she wanted was to stay here, in Beca’s house, if not her arms. “I want to stay,” she said, hesitantly. “And you didn’t ruin my night with Chicago. He ruined it. It was a destructive relationship. One of us would have ended up dead. Probably me based on the number of death threats he gave me on a daily basis.”

A small gasp escaped Beca’s lips, and the two women realized that they had unknowingly scooted their chairs to be next to each other.  
“I’ve wanted to get to know you ever since I saw you at the Activities Fair.”

Beca started shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but I just have to interrupt here. You wanted to get to know me, so you barged into my shower stall while you were attempting to make out with someone else?”

Chloe pursed her lips out of habit. “When you say it like that…”

Beca laughed. “Sorry, keep going though.”

“I want to try us too Beca. I… I…” for the first time in a long time, the redhead was speechless. She turned to the brunette sitting next to her. “I really want to kiss you.”

Beca didn’t hesitate-neither girl did-lips meeting, both smelling like pancakes and syrup and the same shampoo the other had used in college.


End file.
